(b) Whenever the total number of voters eligible to vote in any primary or special election, in any two election districts whose polling places are regularly located in the same building, is less than four hundred, the board of elections may assign the inspectors of election of the election district which contains the greater number of such voters, to act also, in all respects, as the election officers of the other such election district and no other election officers shall be appointed to serve in or for such other election district at such primary or special election. A separate poll ledger or computer generated registration list, separate voting machine or ballots and separate canvass of results shall be provided for each such election district.

(c) Whenever all the candidates to be voted upon at a primary election, except a primary election in the city of New York, or all the candidates and ballot proposals to be voted upon at a special election, or at a school board election conducted by the board of elections, or at a general election in the city of New York in a year in which there is no election for electors of president and vice-president of the United States or governor of the state or mayor of such city, by the voters of any two or more election districts whose polling places are regularly located in the same building are identical, the board of elections may combine such election districts for that election, provided that the total number of voters eligible to vote in any such combined election district does not exceed one thousand two hundred in a primary election or does not exceed two thousand in a special election or a general election in the city of New York.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, polling places designated for any one such election district that will be utilizing any voting machine or system certified for use in New York state pursuant to chapter one hundred eighty-one of the laws of two thousand five, may be the polling place of any other contiguous district or districts, provided the voting system used in such polling place produces separate and distinct vote totals for each election district voting in such polling place on such voting machine or system. 6. Each polling place designated, whenever practicable, shall be situated on the main or ground floor of the premises selected. It shall be of sufficient area to admit and comfortably accommodate voters in numbers consistent with the deployment of voting systems and privacy booths, pursuant to 9 NYCRR 6210.19. Such deployment of voting systems, election workers and election resources shall be in a sufficient number to accommodate the numbers of voters eligible to vote in such polling place. 6-a. Each polling place designated, whenever practicable, shall be situated directly on a public transportation route. 7. No polling place shall be located on premises owned or leased by a person holding public office or who is a candidate for public office at a primary or general election. 8. Whenever the board of elections shall determine that there is no building within an election district available and suitable for the meetings for the registration of voters or for any election, or that for reasons of efficiency or economy it is desirable to consolidate such meetings of one or more districts in one place, such board may designate a building for such purpose in an adjoining district in the same village, city or town and there may be as many distinctly separate meetings or polling places lawfully located in the same building as public convenience may require. Wherever possible, public schools, fire houses, municipal buildings or other buildings exempt from taxation shall be designated for such meetings and polling places. Such a determination shall be made only after notice to the chairpersons of the county committees of all political parties and reasonable opportunity for them to be heard.